Eastern highway opponents release picture of 'madness'

By BERNARD ORSMAN

High-profile lawyer John Haigh, QC, is taking on Auckland City Mayor John Banks in a bid to stop the destruction of Hobson Bay from the $4 billion eastern highway.

Mr Haigh last night released a computer-generated image of a "huge interchange" at the bottom of Portland Rd close to his Remuera home in Seaview Rd.

It was presented to the Hobson Bay Community Board, controlled by Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now who support the $3 billion to $4 billion highway.

Mr Haigh, a co-ordinator for the Hobson Bay Residents' Network, said the plans were infrastructural madness, unaffordable, would destroy the environment and create more problems than they would solve.

"How can you say the vague and intangible interests of business outweigh the communities you represent. Remember the 1980s when everything was good for business," Mr Haigh said.

Mr Banks later told the Herald Mr Haigh was an old friend who no doubt would raise some valid issues worthy of scrutiny.

But Mr Banks said he had campaigned at the last election to complete Auckland's motorway network, including the eastern corridor, and he would do so again this election.

"We are going to be showing everyone who is interested what it is going to look like at every step of the way," Mr Banks said.

The Hobson network plans to deliver 5000 colour leaflets in Remuera and Parnell outlining its concerns about two local options - crossing Hobson Bay or going along Shore Rd and under Parnell through a 3.5km tunnel.

The leaflet said the motorway would result in huge increases in traffic through the neighbourhood as well as noise, dust and fumes 24 hours a day and glaring night lights.

It would destroy the visual appeal and water quality of Hobson Bay just as the sewer line across the bay was about to be put underground. During the three-to-five years of construction, trucks would be constantly on the move through local streets, removing fill, the leaflet said.

City Vision leader and mayoral candidate Dr Bruce Hucker, who has promised to axe the highway and give priority to public transport, said Remuera and Parnell residents were being kept in the dark as much as those further south at Mt Wellington about the effects of the proposed highway.

Former Transport Minister and MP for Maungakiekie Mark Gosche last week said the latest report on the highway was dishonest because it did not tell hundreds of Mt Wellington residents that they would be looking out their windows at an enormous concrete wall or a concrete overpass.

Hobson Community Board chairman and Auckland C & R Now member Troy Churton said that as a member of the eastern corridor steering group he was privy to more detail.

Mr Churton said he was trying to be robust and critical with the consultants about design features and noise, visual and congestion effects.

He said the public would see details next month when the steering group was due to make recommendations about the final route to the Auckland and Manukau councils.

But he said the main gripe among Hobson residents was heavy traffic using Remuera and Orakei residential streets.

Hobson Bay options

Hobson Bay: A new roadway across Hobson Bay and Mechanics Bay to connect with Grafton Gully. Tamaki Drive would be widened to take eight lanes of traffic.

Parnell Tunnel: A 3.5km tunnel for motor vehicles under Parnell connecting with Grafton Gully. Another tunnel would go under Hobson Bay and come out at Orakei peninsula. Buses would still cross Hobson Bay.